Bay Area Immigration Services

Individuals holding an advanced degree or aliens of exceptional ability may be eligible for a First Employment-Based Preference (EB1-EA or EB1A) petition without an employer’s sponsorship. These petitions provide the freedom of changing jobs without going through the normal immigration process and could be a much better and quicker way to obtain your U.S. Green Card to enter the United States. If you need assistance with this petition, please contact…

Typically, this appeal must be submitted on a form I-290B along with supporting documents. Our immigration attorneys have the necessary experience, skill, and knowledge to submit a compelling appeal in your case. For example, our office has taken the appeal on an initial denial of a J-1 waiver application of the two-year foreign residency requirement to the AAO and successfully obtained such a waiver for two medical doctors and physicians.

Our legal team has years of experience practicing before the Board in numerous types of cases and we possess the necessary skill and knowledge to aggressively advocate for our clients in their cases on appeal. It is essential that any appeal brought before the BIA be exhaustive and complete, as any argument that may later be brought to the federal Circuit Courts on a Petition for Review is limited by…

Asylum is a form of protection granted to individuals in the United States who have been persecuted or fear they will be persecuted on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Individuals who meet this definition of a refugee and who are already in the United States or who are seeking entry into the United States at a port of entry may…

Certain aliens who have resided illegally but continuously in the U.S. for over 10 years and have a qualifying U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident spouse, child or parent may qualify for cancellation of removal (which leads to a green card) if they can show extraordinary hardship to any one of the qualifying relatives. Certain abused spouses may also qualify for cancellation of removal even if they have not resided in…

The basic requirements for U.S. citizenship are that the applicant hold a legal status as a full-time resident for a minimum period of time and that the applicant promise to obey and uphold the country’s laws, to which an oath or pledge of allegiance is sometimes added. Becoming a U.S. citizen provides you with new rights and privileges; including the right to vote, run for federal office, and eligibility for…

Our office has successfully assisted many immigrants in obtaining their visas through U.S. State Department consular processing. Any intending immigrant living outside of the U.S. must obtain their visa through consular processing. This process can be challenging, time consuming, and frustrating if you fail to timely file the proper document. Once you have obtained the approval of your visa petition and a visa is available for you, your application must…

Immigrants wishing to enter the United States based on prospective employment must obtain an approved employment visa from the USCIS. Our experienced and professional legal staff has over 20 years of experience helping our clients obtain employment visas permitting them to live and work in the United States.

If you currently hold a non-immigrant status and seek to extend or change your immigration status, then you are required to file an I-539 application to change your status. We have a friendly staff that will help you achieve your goal of staying in the United States.

Immigration support and advice for gay and lesbian immigrants in the South Bay and throughout the nation. Immigration laws are continually changing and constantly challenging immigrants hoping to obtain legal permanent status in the United States. For gay and lesbian immigrants, not only do they face challenges because of their legal status in the U.S. but also because they are gay. The Law Offices of H. Edward Ballout & Associates…

For employers seeking to hire foreign workers in specialized fields requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher, such as scientists, engineers, or computer programmers, the H-1B visa program can be confusing and complex. At the Law Offices of Haitham Edward Ballout, we focus on providing your business with a range of services, from employment counseling to filling out the necessary paperwork for the H-1B visa, or assisting you in the transfer…

Our legal team has extensive experience in arguing immigration matters before the federal Circuit Courts, especially in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. We are skilled in framing the legal arguments before the federal appellate courts so that our clients have the best opportunity available to have their claims heard and decided upon. For more information on our federal appellate experience, please contact us today.

Find an immigration lawyer in San Jose, California. We help San Jose residents stay legally in the United States and we understand immigration law. The city of San Jose is the third largest city in Silicon Valley, California. According to the California Department of Finance, it is currently the 10th largest city in the United States. The San Jose, California area is home to the largest concentration of technology expertise…

We are a San Francisco Bay Area law firm focusing on Immigration, Deportation & Appeal matters. If you are unable to visit our immigration law offices in person, you may schedule a telephone consultation. We accept major credit cards. If you need to cancel your appointment or reschedule please do so 24 hours in advance. We look forward to assisting you.

Detained by ICE? We are immigration and deportation defense attorneys with 22 years experience. We defend detained aliens in Immigration Courts nationwide. Detention and removal of illegal aliens is a priority of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is an agency within the Department of Justice (DOJ) that presides over immigration courts. Immigration Detention Centers Aguadilla Service Processing Center Aurora Contract Detention Facility…

For investors looking to develop and direct a business enterprise in the United States or to invest a substantial amount of capital in a new business project, a special E-2 Treaty Investor Visa is available. In order to obtain an investor visa to conduct or invest in business in the United States, several requirements must be met. We encourage you to consult with our office on your particular U.S. investment.

A J-1 holder who is subject to the foreign two-year residency requirement must obtain a waiver before being allowed to seek an H-1B visa or to adjust his/her status through marriage to a U.S. citizen. Our office has over 20 years of experience in this field of l aw and can assist in filing this type of waiver or appealing a denial of a J-1 waiver application to the Administrative…

L-1 visas apply to inter-company transferees who, within the three preceding years, have been employed abroad continuously for one year, and who will be employed by a branch, parent, affiliate, or subsidiary of that same employer in the U.S. in a managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge capacity. If you are in need of an L-1 visa, please contact our offices today.

During the past 20 years, we have developed a reputation for dedication to our clients and for effective representation. Based on this reputation, we are called on to handle immigration matters in multiple states. Although local competent counsel is usually best equipped to deal with local immigration matters, our office will gladly discuss representing you in any U.S. city and before any immigration court so long as our representation is…

Our legal team has experience and knowledge in many areas of the law, including civil and appellate law. We represent clients in various civil venues, as well as local administrative hearings. We often have repeat clients retain us on diverse legal matters. Please contact us today for a consultation.

Our offices have over 22 years experience connecting loved ones together in the United States. Get help with petitions, visas, green cards and permanent resident status. If your fiancé(e) or spouse is not a citizen of the United States and you would like to sponsor him or her to enter the U.S., then you will need help obtaining a K-1 fiancée visa or K-3 or CR-1 Spousal Visa. Our office…

Your permanent residence status will be conditional if it is based on a marriage that was less than two years old on the day you were given permanent residence. You are given conditional resident status on the day you are lawfully admitted to the United States on an immigrant visa or receive adjustment of status. Your permanent resident status is conditional, because you must prove that you did not get…

Our attorneys have extensive experience in providing the best possible legal representation in the Federal Immigration Courts for someone in a removal or deportation proceeding. We understand that this can be a frightening experience, with serious consequences if the person is ordered removed, foremost separation from their families and friends. Our skilled attorneys will use every available means in order to provide our client with relief from removal. For more…

Helping our Bay Area clients stay legally in the United States for over 20 years. If you reside in the greater San Francisco Bay Area and are looking for a trusted and experience immigration lawyer to help you win your immigration case, then we can help you. Our immigration lawyers have over 20 years experience tackling the toughest immigration cases and helping immigrants in the Bay Area seek permanent status…

Immigration law answers and legal help in San Francisco, California. Helping San Francisco clients stay legally in the United States for over 20 years. San Francisco is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of more than 7 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland. One of the most diverse cities in California, San Francisco is home to thousands of immigrants. If you…

An abused alien spouse of a U.S. Citizen or Green Card holder may file a green card application on his/her own without the consent of the US citizen or legal resident spouse. A self-petitioner must be legally married (in good faith) to the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident batterer. A self-petition may be filed if the marriage was terminated by the abusive spouse’s death within the two years prior…

US citizens with certain criminal convictions. Congress prohibited certain U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents with criminal convictions from obtaining any family-based immigration benefit. Sections 402(a) and (b) of the Adam Walsh Act amend section 101(a)(15)(K), 204(a)(1)(A) and 204(a)(1)(B)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit U.S. citizens and LPRs who have been convicted of any “specified offense against a minor” from filing a family-based visa petition on behalf…

This waiver is used to allow aliens to return to the U.S. or to obtain a Green Card without leaving the U.S. If you are illegally in the US and are married to a US citizen or the holder of a Green Card, and you entered without inspection, you may need to return to your own country and apply for an immigrant visa through the US consulate there. We will…

In order to fully exhaust all potential avenues of appeal, our legal team is prepared, and in fact has on several occasions previously, petitioned directly to the U.S. Supreme Court in what is called a Writ of Certiorari. However, the U.S. Supreme Court accepts for review and a further hearing only a very small percentage of cases that are filed before it. In past sessions, the Supreme Court received in…